Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Some hay people are royal PITB's.... shame that he is that way with being so close and convenient... but....
We have gotten a little ticked off with some that would call and want 10 bales and then not show up, or try to chew down the price when they got here.... you get tired of people like that, so DS doesn't like to deal with any "small lots" anymore either... unless they are referred by one of the "good customers"... and we have a couple that call, then come and get their own when he tells them where it is, and then gives him a count. But they are very trusted customers.
Sounds like the owner of the land and the hay guy renting it are well suited to each other.
Shame that you can't get the alfalfa mix for the goats to feed when they have kids and you are milking... and closeby. GRRRR

Ray came and did the garden... I was surprised he came in the middle of the day but he says the heat doesn't bother him... he is SOOOOO SKINNY... like a matchstick thin... says some of it is the diabetes and all the meds... so I guess the sun keeps his bones warm.... It is alot smoother than the rest that Sam only disced. But the good thing, all the weeds/grass growing has been cut up... AND with the heat, they will die quickly. I will get out there this evening and get some more planted.
I did work out there for a little bit earlier, we had some clouds.... white fluffy kind... but they blunted the sun so I got a little more weeded in part of the next row of potatoes... and got some more mulch down and the soaker hose on the purple beans. Then I will pull the weeds down through the purple beans and put the mulch down in there. The weeds I pulled along the tomatoes came right out from being watered some yesterday. As soon as I get the mulch down between the potato rows I just got weeded, I will put the one long soaker hose down between them and then it will not evaporate after it soaks down through the mulch hay. I need to put the hay down around the dill that I weeded around when I can see it. So that will get done later this afternoon.
I am going to take a couple barrels of water up to the calves in a bit and have to go get feed at the barn to take with me.

Have texted with DS... he is very very sick to his stomach and the headaches... he said he was sick all weekend.. I finally told him to stop all the meds and give his stomach a break... and that he should try something like a smoothie or something with some yogurt in it to try to feed the good gut bacteria if there is any left, and just try to manage with a tylenol/ibuprofen combination... But of course, he is there at her house and she is running the show... I can't even find out exactly what he is taking. Needless to say, he is not on the tractor, no hay will get mowed... He said he has a dr appt on Thursday and "we're gonna fix this ****" ....
It has me worried..... very concerned..... but I cannot force him to tell me what is going on...

Going to head up to the calves in a bit. Then spend cooler and sun going down time, in the garden later.

 

[Mini Horses]

Overnight some sprinkles. Like 15 min.

Today -- NO rain! NONE.

Noon on back porch....look right, black clouds. Look left, blue skies, couple white fluffy clouds. Hour later....both ways blue skies!!! north of me got rain. We're scorching here. Not good.

 

[Baymule]

I know you are worried about your son. Maybe go around him and talk to GF and find out what his medications are.

 

[farmerjan]

Went to the barn to get grain, and DS was there. Wanted to see the calves and told me he thought about what I suggested... went and got a strawberry milkshake.... said it seemed to settle. Of course, that is not what I told him... that he needed a flavored smoothie type drink with yogurt....for helping the gut bacteria...." you know I don't like yogurt"...... I said you will never know it is yogurt in something like that.... GRRRR

He did not look as "bad" as his text sounded... he was going to go move some hay he said... we looked over the calves in the barn, talked about the dry conditions... and I said we ought to sell the steers now while they are still bringing $3.00 , he said if this keeps up people are going to be starting to sell because there is no pasture... and I said again, that is why we need to sell the steers now, and not wait til they drop to $2.00 .... he is so dam@#d undecided about doing something... make up your mind then do it and quit SECOND GUESSING....
Drives me nuts.....If I had my way they would be going Friday... but there is only 1 or maybe 2 that are mine and the other 12-14 are his... only a couple of heifers in this group. He says we ought to go get the ones off the other group of bred cows, then maybe sell the steers... OKAY.... let's make plans to do it.....

So, I got a couple buckets of grain, filled the 2 barrels there at the barn and he left in the bale truck. I came up to the pasture. I had to feed the calves some grain, then fed a bucket to the cows so I could get the truck backed up with the water and not fight with the cows all in the way...... PITA . But, the calves all are pretty much coming in and most are eating some grain and all are drinking some water. It will help in a week or 2, when we work all the bull calves, for them all to be coming in so good. They will all get eartagged and bulls banded and all get black leg shots.
Anyway, I came home and went out in the garden. Got some mulch down in part of one row, and pulled weeds in another until I couldn't see much.

The section that Ray rototilled is SOOOOOO much nicer than what Sam did with the disc... next year it will get tilled..... doesn't need plowing then discing... it will need to be tilled only. I will get into planting more tomorrow I hope. I do have to test in the afternoon...

Sorry you didn't get any of the rain either @Mini Horses, crazy how it has been. You have more porous soil so the wet doesn't soak, or stay in, the same as us. We just need a good rain to get down in the lower layers... we have had so much wind that what little we get never gets down in far... and we have been drier than normal through the winter and this spring too.

Hoping we could get some of this they are calling for on Wednesday... a half inch would save the hay across the road and the corn is up about 4 inches... it desperately needs it.... The dryness will help it to go deep with the roots, but it needs enough to get it established first...
The nurse cow pasture is crispy... The one good thing is the spring is still running good and trough has been full every time I have checked it.

I need to get bottles for tomorrow's test, and make sure I have the short hoses in the car for this farm. Set the alarm and get up early and work in the garden for awhile.
The one good thing, it is less humid and the temps is dropping... down to 67 already.

 

[Mini Horses]

Don't know about you but, here I don't see any rain beyond an end of day humidity sprinkle -- for next 10 days!!. Really bad news. I see corn fields 4-6' tall that are curling. Some are even yellowing lower leaves. It's gonna be real, real bad if this keeps up.
Apr & May were too wet, late plantings. Now too dry. Geesh. My grasses are getting crunchy in some places -- depends on type. The deep roots, established still growing. Like the garden grass . Of course, some watering going on for veggies there.

Pastures are a concern. We're both concerned for that!

 

[farmerjan]

Tuesday night. 62 to start and not bad out early, breezy, then the sun got hotter and it got more humid and it hit 94 on recording thermometer... not in the sun either, I moved it so dun only hits it a little for about 15-20 minutes pretty early with the slant of the rays before it climbs enough to be shaded out by tree leaves.

I took the explorer down early this morning when the co-op opened... the inspection ran out end of May and he has been busy, what with the other guy being out the past 6 weeks... So, yesterday when I stopped he said that he had nothing special coming in this morning, to try to get there early. So, I was down there at 7:30 or 7:40 this morning (open at 8).... and there was one guy ahead of me for an inspection also... since he had the time after that inspection, JR also did the oil change that it kept telling me it needed... YEP .... a whole 4,000 miles for oil change message... took me a year to put that 4,000 miles on it... and the air conditioner does not put out cold air again, and I am not spending more money on it to fix it again... If I sell it, it will be AS IS.... But it passed inspection... I mean, not like the brakes got worn out or anything since they were done last year...

So, got done with that and now at least I won't get stopped for an expired inspection sticker...

Came home and got the bottles in the trays, hoses in the car and a couple of the meters I will not need, in the storage box in the carport. Sun was getting strong so did a couple things in the house.
Left to go to work, went by and picked up the samples from my "milk guy" on the way to the farm. Got there, set up and then next thing you know we are milking around 3:45... Got done, computer work all done, and meters went through wash cycles. Loaded them , came through town and stopped but no buckets today, then came home.
I went out into the garden when I got home... pulled some weeds and got the soaker hose on the rows where the butternut squash and cantaloupe seeds are... I replanted the cantaloupe ones that did not come up but that could have been from not enough water... might have a "double crop " if they germinate. The butternut squash plants are looking good.
Then I got in the main garden and did some more weeding. My feet were hurting this evening.. and I just did not have the energy to lay out another row. But I plan to try to do that in the morning... Get another row or 2 of potatoes in. The other ones are starting to come through... I am going to put the soaker hose down the center of rows and let them get a decent watering in the soil.... and then get more mulch hay down. I worked on a section where there was some dill coming up, then as it started to get later, went to the one end where there was alot of grass coming up in between the rows of potatoes and got quite a bit mostly all weeded. Tomorrow I will also take and get some hay down on it.
The shorter rows where the purple beans are was pretty "wet" so will probably try to weed them tomorrow and then can put the hay down on them. The tomatoes are starting to show some dark green color and look like something after my being so late getting them in. That's okay... I can deal with that.
The rows of potatoes coming up have so much "chunks" of hard soil, and the area Ray just did is sooo smooth looking... It will be nice to get in there the next couple of days and get things planted.
Tomorrow is Wed and supposed to be upper 90's with heat index close to 110... so will work early for a bit... try to get in at least 1 more row or 2, if I can. I am going to put in a couple rows of yellow wax beans on one end where the rows will be alot shorter... several side by side for polination.... and put some other cukes on the one "wire tower" made of reinforcing wire from pouring concrete I think.. it is very stiff so stands up good... Had cukes on it last year... I really really like those spiced cuke pickles and plan to make a bunch this year again....
The cukes on the part of the 1/2 panel are starting to grow but don't see any of the dipper gourd seeds sprouting. Might go on and put some thing else on the part...

Samples to pack in the morning after it gets hot outside and I can be in the house... I have all the parts to fix the hoses, out, so that is a project for under the tree in the shade tomorrow too... I haven't talked to DS so don't know if he mowed today... he didn't yesterday. And, going down a different road, went by and saw a bale of hay that was missed at the one subdivision... at the other end of the field totally out of sight from where I went in to get the others on Saturday... I will see about getting the truck and getting it and check and make sure DS didn't miss any others... it was not in the field I was supposed to be getting them moved out of... so I want to check out and see if there are any others.

Time to get a shower and hit the sack. Ate a sandwich for supper, not been too hungry with the heat.
When I went to test this afternoon, I went by one good sized pond, probably a 1/2 acre or more.... that is just a mud hole in the center... and one smaller one just up the road was down at least 75%...

Okay, time to get a shower and get some sleep and get up and get going outside early while it is not too hot...

 

[Ridgetop]

Not a doc, but totally agree with you on the meds. Got a lot of friends on meds, and different docs just keep piling on more.

@farmerjan Get him to make a single page sheet of all the medicines with dosages and reason from each doctor. I would ask pharmacist and each doctor about interactions. It's quite possible doctors prescribed competing or overlapping meds if records aren't being shared well.

Talk to the pharmacist about the combinations of drugs he is taking. Sometimes they catch side effects and interactions before the doctors since many times there are different doctors prescribing and each doctor doesn't realize what the other doctors have prescribed.

Couldn't find where I wrote the combination down for the one pasture gate... the stupid owner has to change it every year and all I could find is "last year's" combination.

If the changing combination is a problem, try cutting the chain and adding your own lock on the cut sections. The owner will have his own combination lock that he can open, and you will have your lock that you can open on the chain in different locations on the chain. DH told me that here in L.A. on public land that needs to be accessed by different city entities, that the Dept. of Water and Power, the Fire Dept., the police department, etc. all have their own padlocks connecting portions of the chains securing those gates. That way any of the entities can access the areas as they need to for emergencies.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yep...water down in some "swamp runs" around here. All of VA in drought warning, your area is slightly worse than south of you. Makes me appreciate some fields with a good amount of Bermuda! It's a hot weather, drought survivor! And takes a lot of abuse, low grazing, etc. not good with cows as they need taller varieties...but horses, goats, sheep do ok. This is a type developed for haying, so does get taller than common types. It got planted compliments of some hay years back.

We need rain!!! I worked in garden today, too. Will re-till in a day or 2, plant more. Dirt is powdery. Couple jobs to do for work this week.

I liked those cinnamon pickles too. Plan to make a batch myself. Very tasty. You did good.

 

[farmerjan]

If the changing combination is a problem, try cutting the chain and adding your own lock on the cut sections. The owner will have his own combination lock that he can open, and you will have your lock that you can open on the chain in different locations on the chain. DH told me that here in L.A. on public land that needs to be accessed by different city entities, that the Dept. of Water and Power, the Fire Dept., the police department, etc. all have their own padlocks connecting portions of the chains securing those gates. That way any of the entities can access the areas as they need to for emergencies.

Owner won't allow it..... already mentioned it since there is a separate lock in the chain for the power co..... nope, he has to have TOTAL control.... I cannot stand this guy....such a male chauvinist.... on his 3rd or 4th wife and each one got younger... this one has alot of health problems and was not able to give him more kids ... think there is some mental instability/depression problems there... but he owns the 2 best places we rent and DS gets along with him just fine....so I just do what I do and let DS deal with him.

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses .... have to thank @Ridgetop for the recipe... and they are very forgiving for the heating thing everyday... I missed several days in the process due to work and other stuff... and they were just fine... Probably all the vinegar and sugar killing anything that could possibly grow in them .... but they just worked good and I like them in shorter little "sticks".

Yeah, we are hurting... it is so dry here; little possibility of some storms tonight and I am praying for them, even with winds forecast to come with it. Watching the radar close...

Got up and went out pretty early. It was 69 for low, and already is up to 86 at 10. I got in the garden, and got 2 LONG rows (50+ ft) of potatoes in before the sun came up over the trees across the road, so garden was in "shadow"... It was nice to get that much done. This was in the newly tilled part and was a PLEASURE to do it... Not all the bigger hard chunks of soil. Then I put some more mulch down one row between some potatoes coming up so that whole row has a basic layer of mulch for now. Then moved the soaker hose over and put it down one so it will water the soil below it and hopefully get both rows "watered".... I also pulled a couple of forkfuls of mulch off the bale, and put them down where I hadn't gotten it down.
Pulled some weeds along one row in the shaded part as the sun came over the trees and the shaded area shrunk as it got the sun on it. Will work on pulling weeds and mulching the 2 short rows of purple beans this evening. They were already in the sun by the time I got the potatoes in.
So, this afternoon, I hope to get another couple of rows in, and then work on some more mulch in other sections.
I will go haul a couple of barrels of water to the calves... might even fill some of the 5 gallon buckets I have with lids and fill 3 tubs up there... so that I can get everything off the truck, then go get another load of the mulch hay from the "bear bale" since that comes off in small forkfulls. That hay is more "grassy" than the bale I brought home from Deb's... that one has a lot of weeds in it... it was from a roll made on an outside windrow, so has more junk in it... peels off pretty good but has some rough stuff in it so works better for wider sections... working real good around the vining plants like squash and cantaloupes that will spread.... that I need to have a bigger area to cover... a little harder to pull apart for longer/narrower rows but doable. Not going to complain about any mulch I have to use.
Also got all the potted spider/house plants watered this morning. Planted another planter with some mini dahlia plants I had gotten... got some more to do. Hope to get them done maybe this afternoon/evening.

I am going to go get the samples packed so they can get sent off in a bit.

Then I am going to eat something. I am trying this "intermittent fasting" to a degree... a couple of friends have lost some weight doing it... and my massage therapist mentioned it also. Have not studied it that much yet... but basically you need to eat over the course of "less hours" than not eating. If you follow the "normal routine" ... you sleep 8 hours and have 16 hours waking time to eat... even at regular intervals... but that does not get your body to "work on" utilizing the body fat stores if you are feeding it constantly. The idea is to eat for a shorter time frame so that your body goes to the fat stores to burn for fuel when you do not "feed it"... I have to read up on it more... but I am working on at least cutting back to a 12 and 12... no food taken in for at least 12 hours so that my body will use some of my fat stores for "fuel" when it needs to burn something... one friend is doing 8 and 16... eating during an 8 hour stretch and no eating over 16 hours time....and she has lost about 30 lbs she said... she drinks water and said she even cheats a little with drinking tea during the "no food" time...and does not really cut out any food except tries to not eat "junk food".... harder with the kids and snacks somewhat... but she said she drinks more water, and is losing some weight.
So, it is not that hard for me to do this time of year since I do drink more this time of year, just making sure I am doing more water... and yes, tea, instead of eating. I have not been eating early, but wait until I come in from doing some things outside earlier... I do eat later in the evening... but if I don't eat until 9-11 in the morning, then not a big deal to eat up until 9-10 at night.... which is about when I finally get in the house in the evening. One other good thing, I don't have a msuch of an appetite, so have just been eating less with the heat, so that helps too.
I am going to do a little more reading up on it... may be able to tweak some food choices... I do eat more yogurt this time of year too... cool on hot days...

Okay... it's 11 , stomach is growling... time to eat, then pack the samples. Sun is out real bright, so glad I am done in garden for the morning.